Joe Silva's Shoes: What's next for the UFC Fight Night 32 winners?

UFC Fight Night 32 may not have had the strongest lineup when it came to big names, but what the card lacked in overall star power it made up for in quality of action as the organization’s last trip to Brazil in 2013 was a memorable one.

Vitor Belfort continued his incredible climb back toward a UFC championship with a stunning 77-second knockout of Dan Henderson for his third consecutive KO win, all by way of head kick.

The 36-year-old Belfort (24-10 MMA, 13-6 UFC) has reinvigorated his career in a way few have before, as he demolished Henderson (29-11 MMA, 6-5 UFC) in a swift and one-sided fashion to hand the former PRIDE and Strikeforce champion his third consecutive defeat.

In the co-main event, Cezar Ferreira (7-2 MMA, 3-0 UFC) proved his is without a doubt the top fighter from the original “Ultimate Fighter: Brazil” cast with a split-decision victory over Daniel Sarafian (8-4 MMA, 1-2 UFC) in the lone Brazil vs. Brazil matchup of the evening.

Rounding out the FOX Sports 1 main card were a number of other impressive performances as Rafael Cavalcante (12-4 MMA, 1-1 UFC) picked up his first UFC victory, Brandon Thatch (11-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) earned another quick stoppage win, Ryan LaFlare (9-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) scored a decision and Jeremy Stephens (22-9 MMA, 9-8 UFC) put his punching power on display for a knockout.

After every event, fans wonder whom the winners will be matched up with next. And with another night of UFC action in the rearview mirror, it’s time to look forward, put on a pair of Joe Silva’s (and Sean Shelby’s) shoes, and play UFC matchmaker.

JEREMY STEPHENS
Should Fight:Clay GuidaWhy They Should Fight: Jeremy Stephens steamrolled Rony Jason in the main-card opener and is now 2-0 since dropping to the UFC featherweight division.

Stephens has some work to do before becoming a contender at 145 pounds, but a fight with fellow UFC veteran Clay Guida could give “Lil’ Heathen” the chance to get a win over a big name in the weight class.

Even though Guida (30-14 MMA, 10-8 UFC) is coming off a knockout loss to Chad Mendes, a win over “The Carpenter” still means something at this point, and taking out a fighter on a high like Stephens would help him get back on track.

Both men have been around the UFC for years, and while they didn’t cross paths during their time in the lightweight division, it seems the match could happen at featherweight.

RYAN LAFLARE
Should Fight:Seth BaczynskiWhy They Should Fight: After defeating two fighters with minimal UFC experience, it’s time for Ryan LaFlare to take on an opponent who has spent a little more time on the big stage.

Eight-fight veteran of the organization Seth Baczynski recorded a solid decision victory just three days before LaFlare at UFC Fight Night 31, meaning his schedule would line up nicely with the undefeated prospect.

Baczynski (19-10 MMA, 5-3 UFC) has faced and defeated some solid competition inside the octagon, and his experience would be a solid gauge of LaFlare’s capabilities.

BRANDON THATCH
Should Fight:Thiago AlvesWhy They Should Fight: While Thiago Alves has been out of action for what seems like an eternity, “The Pitbull” is reportedly aiming for an early 2014 return to the cage.

The former welterweight challenger has a long road to embark on before reclaiming his former status in the division, and that means he’ll have to start at the bottom.

Not to say Brandon Thatch is at the bottom of the weight class, but he is the type of fighter who will prove if Alves’ (20-4 MMA, 11-6 UFC) time as an elite fighter in the sport is over or if the Brazilian can hold off a hungry prospect while on the comeback trail.

Alves has shared the cage with all the division’s top fighters, from Georges St-Pierre to Matt Hughes, and “The Pitbull” has the striking abilities to avoid being starched in two minutes like Thatch’s other opponents.

Thatch destroyed Paulo Thiago at UFC Fight Night 32 for his most significant victory to date, and adding the name of Alves to his growing resume would put “Rukus” on the fast track to more big fights.

RAFAEL CAVALCANTE
Should Fight:Fabio MaldonadoWhy They Should Fight: If you’ve ever seen Rafael Cavalcante or Fabio Maldonado compete before, not much explanation is needed as to why these two sluggers should face each other.

While “Feijao” may sit a little higher in the rankings, the style matchup with Maldonado (20-6 MMA, 3-3 UFC) is a mouthwatering proposition.

Both of these Brazilians like to sling bombs on the feet, and it’s likely they would be willing to do just that until one hits the canvas unconscious.

CEZAR FERREIRA
Should Fight:Brad TavaresWhy They Should Fight: Now that Cezar Ferreira and Daniel Sarafian have finally had their overdue “Ultimate Fighter: Brazil” finale and “Mutante” proved his status as the best fighter from the reality show, both men can move on with their careers.

Ferreira has looked very solid in his three UFC appearances and now it’s time for the Vitor Belfort prodigy to get a more difficult test.

While Brad Tavares doesn’t carry the most name value in the middleweight division, the 25-year-old has won four straight UFC fights.

Tavares (11-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) has only lost once in seven UFC contests, meaning it takes a bit more than the average fighter to defeat him.

If Ferreira can get by the Hawaiian, it would prove he’s ready for the next level of competition in the middleweight division.

VITOR BELFORT
Should Fight: Winner of Chris Weidman vs. Anderson Silva at UFC 168Why They Should Fight: Booking Vitor Belfort for a middleweight title fight against Chris Weidman or Anderson Silva is going to be a logistical nightmare for the UFC given the Brazilian’s controversial testosterone use.

However, the organization doesn’t have much of a choice at this point, as “The Phenom” has absolutely massacred Michael Bisping, Luke Rockhold and Dan Henderson in consecutive fights, and anything other than a title shot for the Brazilian would be criminal.

Belfort has become incredibly dangerous in the past year, and it’s safe to say he’s not the same fighter who was the victim of a humiliating front kick knockout from Silva in 2011.

Should Silva (33-5 MMA, 16-1 UFC) get the belt back from Weidman (10-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) next month, a rematch with Belfort would be a bit of a tough sell considering the one-sidedness of their first affair. But Belfort has come such a long way since then, it’s really not much of a rematch at all.

A fight between Belfort and Weidman would be much easier to market and moreover, is arguably the more interesting fight.

Either way, Belfort has earned another crack at UFC gold and the fact he will compete for a world title in 2014 is a truly remarkable feat.

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